Patents Examined by Douglas King
  • Patent number: 11586887
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a neural network apparatus includes a plurality of neuron circuits, each including an integration circuit, a firing circuit, and a secondary battery. The integration circuit is configured to output an integral signal obtained by integrating input signals. The firing circuit is configured to generate, in accordance with the integral signal, a pulse signal to be transmitted to the neuron circuit provided at a subsequent layer. The secondary battery is configured to supply the firing circuit with drive electric power used for generating the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takao Marukame, Tetsufumi Tanamoto, Yoshifumi Nishi, Kumiko Nomura
  • Patent number: 11587616
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing in-memory processing includes a memory cell array of memory cells configured to output a current sum of a column current flowing in respective column lines of the memory cell array based on an input signal applied to row lines of the memory cells, a sampling circuit, comprising a capacitor connected to each of the column lines, configured to be charged by a sampling voltage of a corresponding current sum of the column lines, and a processing circuit configured to compare a reference voltage and a currently charged voltage in the capacitor in response to a trigger pulse generated at a timing corresponding to a quantization level, among quantization levels, time-sectioned based on a charge time of the capacitor, and determine the quantization level corresponding to the sampling voltage by performing time-digital conversion when the currently charged voltage reaches the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyungwoo Lee, Sangjoon Kim, Yongmin Ju
  • Patent number: 11574691
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells on which a programming loop is executed a plurality of times; a voltage generator configured to apply a verifying voltage to the memory cells, for verifying at least one programming state of the memory cells; and a voltage controller configured to control the voltage generator to change a level of the verifying voltage as a program loop count increases, based on temperature information about a temperature inside or outside the memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-Sung Cho
  • Patent number: 11574660
    Abstract: In a particular implementation, a circuit comprises: a memory array including a plurality of bit cells, where each of the bit cells are coupled to a respective bit path; a first multiplexer comprising a plurality of column address locations, where each of the plurality of column address locations is coupled to the memory array and corresponds to a respective bit path capacitance; and a variable capacitance circuit coupled to a reference path and configured to substantially match reference path capacitance to each of the respective bit path capacitances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Lalit Gupta, Nimish Sharma, Hetansh Pareshbhai Shah, Bo Zheng
  • Patent number: 11551766
    Abstract: A memory device includes: one or more planes each including a plurality of memory blocks; and a control circuit for selectively performing a dummy read operation before a valid read operation on the first memory block, according to whether a read command on the first memory block is firstly received from a host after a program operation is performed on a plane including the first memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jang Seob Kim
  • Patent number: 11538547
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a scheme for determining the order of read threshold voltages used in a read error recovery operation for a memory system. A controller performs one or more read operations on a memory device using one or more read voltages among a plurality of read voltages in a set order. The controller detects a successful read operation among the one or more read operations. The controller determines one or more credits for the one or more read voltages, respectively, in response to the detected successful read operation. The controller updates the set order based on the determined credits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jingjian Ren, Alexey Lisichenok, Jay Kim, Sungho Kim, Eric Wong, Sunmin Yun
  • Patent number: 11532345
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatuses for self-referencing sensing schemes are described. A cell having two transistors, or other switching components, and one capacitor, such as a ferroelectric capacitor, may be sensed using a reference value that is specific to the cell. The cell may be read and sampled via one access line, and the cell may be used to generate a reference voltage and sampled via another access line. For instance, a first access line of a cell may be connected to one read voltage while a second access line of the cell is isolated from a voltage source; then the second access line may be connected to another read voltage while the first access line is isolate from a voltage source. The resulting voltages on the respective access lines may be compared to each other and a logic value of the cell determined from the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Riccardo Muzzetto
  • Patent number: 11526279
    Abstract: Technologies for scrambling functions in a column-addressable memory architecture includes a device having a memory and a circuitry. The memory includes a matrix storing individually addressable bit data, and the matrix is formed by rows and columns. The circuitry is to receive a request to perform a write operation of one or more bit values to one of the columns. The circuitry is further to determine a scrambler state at each location of the column, the location corresponding to a respective row and column index. The scrambler state is indicative of a function used to determine a value at the respective column location. Each of the bit values is scrambled as a function of the scrambler state for the respective column location and written thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Zion Kwok, Jawad Khan, Richard Coulson
  • Patent number: 11521050
    Abstract: A control circuit for a neural network system includes a first multiply accumulate circuit, a first neuron value storage circuit and a first processor. The first multiply accumulate circuit includes n memristive cells. The first terminals of the n memristive cells receive a supply voltage. The second terminals of the n memristive cells are connected with a first bit line. The control terminals of the n memristive cells are respectively connected with n word lines. Moreover, n neuron values of a first layer are stored in the first neuron value storage circuit. In an application phase, the first neuron value storage circuit controls the n word lines according to binary codes of the n neuron values. The first processor generates a first neuron value of a second layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EMEMORY TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Chia-Fu Chang, Cheng-Heng Chung, Ching-Yuan Lin
  • Patent number: 11508450
    Abstract: Aspects of a storage device including a memory and a controller are provided. The memory can include memory dies that draw a current from a current source during a program operation. The controller may monitor for an alarm signal from the memory dies on a first common channel between the controller and the memory dies. The alarm signal indicates that a corresponding memory die is entering an operational state that draws a peak current from the current source for the program operation. The controller can receive, from the memory dies, one or more alarm signals on the first common channel within a predetermined threshold time. The controller can transmit a postpone signal on a second common channel to the memory dies based on the one or more alarm signals received within the predetermined threshold time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Chung Lien, Huai-Yuan Tseng, Deepanshu Dutta
  • Patent number: 11508434
    Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor memory device and a method for operating the same. The semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell array with a plurality of memory cells programmed to a plurality of program states; a peripheral circuit configured for performing a program operation on selected memory cells among the plurality of memory cells through a plurality of program loops; a current sensing circuit for determining a verify result of each of the plurality of program states by performing an individual state current sensing operation on the selected memory cells among the memory cells; and a control logic for controlling the current sensing circuit to perform the individual state current sensing operation, based on a number of program loops, among a plurality of program loops, that are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 11501803
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for thin film transistors and related fabrication techniques are described. The thin film transistors may access two or more decks of memory cells disposed in a cross-point architecture. The fabrication techniques may use one or more patterns of vias formed at a top layer of a composite stack, which may facilitate building the thin film transistors within the composite stack while using a reduced number of processing steps. Different configurations of the thin film transistors may be built using the fabrication techniques by utilizing different groups of the vias. Further, circuits and components of a memory device (e.g., decoder circuitry, interconnects between aspects of one or more memory arrays) may be constructed using the thin film transistors as described herein along with related via-based fabrication techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hernan A. Castro, Stephen W. Russell, Stephen H. Tang
  • Patent number: 11475929
    Abstract: Performing refresh operation in a memory device is provided. A refresh operation without address rotation is performed in a cell array of the memory device. Performing the refresh operation without address rotation is repeated for a predetermined number of times. After repeating performing the refresh operation with address rotation for the predetermined number of times, a refresh operation with address rotation is performed in the cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroki Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11474955
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods related to memory disablement for memory security. Disabling the memory for memory security can include, responsive to receiving a trigger signal, provide a voltage, which may be in excess of an operating or nominal voltage, to the access circuitry. The voltage may thus be sufficient to render the access circuitry inoperable for accessing data stored in the memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shea M. Morrison, Brenton P. Van Leeuwen, Blakely N. Frechette
  • Patent number: 11467928
    Abstract: A data storage circuit for storing data from volatile memory in response to a power loss, the data storage circuit including an input for receiving a power loss signal in response to a power loss from at least one power source, an input configured to receive data from a volatile memory, a single block of non-volatile matrix of memory cells and a driver circuit coupled to said single row of non-volatile matrix of memory cells. The driver circuit is configured to write data to and read data from said single block of non-volatile matrix of memory cells. The single block of non-volatile matrix of memory cells can be provided as a single row electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Juan Manuel Cesaretti, Alejandro Gabriel Milesi
  • Patent number: 11468960
    Abstract: Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices are described, in which memory device are configured to add variable delays to a command. The variable delays may be provided by a host device (e.g., a test equipment) using a test mode of the memory devices. Alternatively, the variable delays may be stored in nonvolatile memory (NVM) components of the memory devices. Further, mode registers of the memory devices may be set to indicate that the command is associated with the variable delays stored in the NVM components. Further, the memory devices may include delay components configured to add the variable delays to the command. Such variable delays facilitate staggered execution of the command across multiple memory devices so as to avoid (or mitigate) issues related to an instantaneous, large amount of current drawn from a power supply connected to the memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Boon Hor Lam, Shawn M. Hilde, Karl L. Major, Garrett Harwell
  • Patent number: 11462265
    Abstract: A memory system to store multiple bits of data in a memory cell. After receiving the data bits, a memory device coarsely programs a threshold voltage of the memory cell to a first level representative of a combination of values of the data bits according to a mapping between combinations of values of bits and threshold levels. The threshold levels are partitioned into a plurality of groups, each containing a subset of the threshold levels. XOR (or XNOR) is used to combine the data bits into bits of a group identification of a first group, among the plurality of groups, that contains the first level. The memory device reads, using the group identification, the data bits back from the first memory cell to finely program the threshold voltage of the memory cell to represent the data bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Phong Sy Nguyen, James Fitzpatrick, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Patent number: 11456038
    Abstract: A memory system to store multiple bits of data in a memory cell. After receiving the data bits, a memory device coarsely programs a threshold voltage of the memory cell to a first level representative of a combination of bit values according to a mapping between combinations of bit values and threshold levels. The threshold levels are partitioned into a plurality of groups, each containing a subset of the threshold levels. A group identification of a first group, among the plurality of groups, containing the first level is determined for the memory cell. The memory device reads, using the group identification, a subset of the data bits back from the first memory cell, and combines the bits of the group identification and the subset to recover the entire set of data bits to finely program the threshold voltage of the memory cell to represent the data bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Phong Sy Nguyen, James Fitzpatrick, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Patent number: 11450378
    Abstract: Apparatuses including threshold voltage compensated sense amplifiers and methods for compensating same are disclosed. An example threshold voltage compensated sense amplifier according to the disclosure includes circuits, such as a first transistor having a first conductivity type coupled to a first node and a second node; a second transistor having a second conductivity type coupled to the first node and at third node; a plurality of transistors coupled to the second node and further configured to receive a power supply voltage; and a control circuit configured to provide a plurality of control signals to the plurality of transistors. The control circuit provides the plurality of control signals indicative of a first drive strength in a first memory operation and further provides the plurality of signals indicative of a second drive strength in a second memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sato, Hidekazu Noguchi
  • Patent number: 11450356
    Abstract: In a chip-to-chip signaling system includes at least one signaling link coupled between first and second ICs, the first IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a first interface timing signal. The second IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a second interface timing signal that is mesochronous with respect to the first interface timing signal. The second IC further has phase adjustment circuitry that adjusts a phase of the second interface timing signal using a digital counter implemented with Josephson-junction circuit elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Carl W. Werner